


Can't Let it Go

by shinkonokokoro



Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: M/M, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-11
Updated: 2015-08-11
Packaged: 2018-04-14 03:08:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4547916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shinkonokokoro/pseuds/shinkonokokoro
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For the 'Wilderness Survival' square in Cap_Ironman bingo</p><p>Steve goes with Tony on a business trip. Except they don't quite make it there.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Can't Let it Go

Hurt.

Cold.

Burning.

Fear.

Panic cold cold.

Cold panic fear cold hurt.

Panic hurt cold burning cold.

Burning cold panic panic hurt fear cold cold co—

“Steve!”

Jolting, Steve jerked back. His head cracked against the rock wall of the cave. He'd managed to drag Tony inside earlier. “Tony!” Steve rasped.

“Here,” Stark responded. Voice gentle. Pitying. Right in front of him.

“You're hurt?” He was hurt. He remembered Tony was hurt. He'd lost the helmet somewhere in getting them out of the crashing plane. Steve blinked up at the man. Head wound. Always bled a lot.

“I'll be okay. How are _you_ doing?” Tony asked.

“Fine,” Steve replied curtly.

“Okay. Okay. I...managed a fire. We should move closer,” Tony suggested, not making a move to take the suit off.

“You're hurt?” Steve asked again, wrapping his jacket around him tighter. He wasn't dressed for this. Didn't have his suit. Or his shield. His—” “My shield!” Steve gasped, lurching forward. “I lost—”

“Easy,” Tony said, his gauntleted hands coming down on his shoulders. “Calm down. We'll find it, Cap. I promise. Let's get you by the fire. How you doing?”

“I...”

Tony shook him lightly. “Cap. Steve. You with me?”

Steve shook his head. “My shield...” Then grunted as Tony just dragged him towards the fire.

“C'mon, Winghead. Let's get you warmed up.” The words were light, but the severity of tone belied Tony's concern.

“M'okay...” Steve mumbled as Tony got him down in front of the fire at the back of the cave. His eyes darted to the mouth of said cave, snow raging past, creating a wall of white. Steve shivered.

“Yeah. Yeah, Cap. You'll be okay.”

Steve heard Tony grunt as he sat kind of heavily behind him. “You okay?”

“I'll be fine,” Tony insisted with a bright smile. “Gotta get you warmed up again. Don't need to thaw you a second time.”

Steve only frowned, holding his hands out towards the flames. He didn't track time passing. “Did you get a beacon going?” Steve asked sharply, whirling to face Tony, wincing as something pulled in his side.

“I think the mayday signal is working in my suit,” Tony said, his face looking a little ashen.

“Think?” Steve pressed, having not brought his...anything, really. Save for his shield, thinking this a relaxed business trip with Tony. And now he didn't even have that.

Tony's mouth tightened. “Not exactly a lot to work with here, Cap.”

Jaw clenching, Steve nodded. “Any... Any way to tell for sure?” Then, “Sorry. I'm sorry. That... I'm just—”

“I know,” Tony interrupted. “I know. It's fine. You're cold. I get it.”

Steve shivered miserably, the metal of Tony's suit slowly warming, being so close to the fire. It helped. A little. “I'm sorry.”

“It's fine,” Tony said tiredly. There was a sound of clicking, like Tony maybe locked the joints of the suit, then he felt the man's head on the back of his shoulder.

“You okay?” Steve asked, turning to look at him a little.

“Okay...” Tony wheezed.

Steve's narrowed his eyes at him, noting the sweat at Tony's hairline, his pallor. “Tony. Tony, you need to stay with me. Tell me how the signal works. Tell me. Talk to me.”

Eyes opening, Tony blinked slowly and sighed, beginning to talk, rambling through an explanation about how the signal bounced off the satellites and supposedly alerted people back home to their location. And with any hope, a Quinjet would be able to reach them in a few hours. “Sorry to...disappoint, Cap,” Tony murmured.

Half curled against Tony's chest, Steve shook his head. “It's not... No. I'm not disappointed. It's not your fault. You couldn't have predicted...” Worry spiked in him as Tony's speech slowed, longer and longer pauses stretching between words, thoughts. “Hey. Hey, stay with me. Please?” Steve found himself begging. “I... I need you.”

That made Tony's lips tug up. “You're just sayin' that...”

“No,” Steve said with sudden certainty and clarity. “No. I need you, Tony. I need. I need you to stay with me. I can't... I couldn't bear it if...” He wet his lips, voice cracking. “I need you. Please. Please.”

Tony focused in on him. “I'm bleeding.”

“What?” Steve said stupidly, not processing the response.

“Bleeding. In the suit,” Tony rasped. “Was...injured. Before I got it on. Dunno if the locator beacon is working... I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Steve.”

“I've got you,” Steve said, the words feeling hollow and cold. “Just stay with me.” They had no supplies. No materials. “I can...”

“Don't worry about me. I've got the suit pressed up against it,” Tony said tiredly, eyes sliding shut.

“Tony,” Steve breathed, terrified. “Tony. Hey. Don't. Don't fall asleep.” He patted his cheek until Tony opened his eyes. “I'm gonna go grab more wood. Please. Please.” He couldn't. If he left, Tony would fall asleep. And he wouldn't be coming back like Steve had. He felt sick, looking at the flames that would begin to dwindle. And then back at Tony's nodding head. Impotence, he thought distantly. That's what this feeling was. Decision made, Steve sat sideways between Tony's legs, wrapping his arms around the metal suit and the man within it, laying his head against Tony's shoulder and waiting. “I'll stay with you,” he whispered.

“Thank you,” Tony breathed back, eyes sliding shut again as he leaned his head against Steve's.

Steve fell asleep.

 

To his surprise and confusion, he was warm. When he woke. Steve blinked at the ceiling of the hospital, recognised by the sounds of beeping and snippets of conversations from people walking past.

“Hey there, Cap.” Carol.

He turned his head, seeing her smiling face. Then sucked in a sharp breath of dread. “Tony?!” he demanded.

“Here...” Steve heard a voice croak, turning his head to look on his other side. Tony lay in the bed there, lifting a hand in a weak wave. “Heya, Cap.”

Steve sighed in relief. “Thank God...”

“We almost lost both of you. Who would lead the Avengers then?” Carol said, worry underlying her words, despite their levity.

“You,” Tony said, still staring at Steve.

Carol scoffed. “No.” She fell silent a moment, then said, “I'll let everyone know you're both awake. Glad you're safe.”

Steve gave Tony a small smile. “Yeah...” He heard her leave, eyes still only for Tony.

“You gave up.”

His smile melted away. “What?”

“You gave up,” Tony accused, mouth pinching. “I... I never thought...”

“There wasn't anything I could do,” Steve said, feeling on the defensive.

Tony shook his head. “Steve. Never give up. No matter what. Never give up, okay?”

“I need you,” Steve found himself saying.

Tony sighed. Nodded. “I...” Looked away. “I need you too.”

“Yeah?” he asked, hopeful.

Tony gave him a warm smile. “Yeah.”

 


End file.
